Most modern-day fishing boats are equipped with an electronic fish-finder device that is mounted directly on the casting deck at the bow of the boat. As the name implies, the “fish-finder's” main purpose is to help the fisherman to locate fish in order to maximize his catch. Electronic fish-finder units come in a variety of sizes and have a multitude of push-buttons for operating their many functions. The fish-finder unit is usually mounted either on a gimbal bracket directly to the surface of the deck platform; or it is flush-mounted into a well or panel built in the forward section of the deck. An example of a fish-finder flush-conventionally mounted into a well built in the forward section of the deck is shown in FIG. 1.
In either case, a fish-finder mounted at or near deck level is difficult to read and impossible to operate while fishing from a standing position. It is therefore necessary for the fisherman to kneel or squat each and every time he operates the fish-finder, since the vertical location of the fish-finder is fixed. Repetitive kneeling or squatting is not only very inconvenient; it consumes valuable fishing time, and could be somewhat difficult for some people to endure over a period of time.
The disclosure advantageously provides a telescopic pedestal for electronics, such as fish-finders, that advantageously selectively elevates the fish-finder to a convenient height above the deck level and gives the fisherman the ability to view and operate the device while fishing in the standing position, yet lower it so as conveniently position the fish-finder to be out of the way for travel or when not in use.
In a preferred embodiment, the pedestal includes a base mounted to the deck adjacent an aperture defined through the deck, a lower mast section slidingly positionable relative to the base and the aperture of the deck, and an upper mast section.
The lower mast section has a larger diameter than the upper mast section so that the upper mast section slides into the lower mast section to form a telescopic mast that may be configured to: (i) a retracted position in which a lower end of the lower mast section is substantially below the deck and the upper mast section is substantially within the lower mast section to position the electronic device substantially proximate the deck so as to position the electronic device substantially out of the way for travel or when not in use, (ii) a first extended position in which the lower end of the lower mast section is substantially below the deck and the upper mast section is extended upwardly relative to the lower mast section to position the electronic device at a first elevated position above the deck, and (iii) a second extended position in which the lower end of the lower mast section is raised to be substantially proximate the deck and the upper mast section is extended relative to the lower mast section to position the electronic device at a second elevated position above the deck higher than the first elevated position, the second extended position being a height above the boat deck sufficient to enable a user to view and operate the electronic device while standing.
The base may include a trigger-lock which engages the lower mast section to maintain the lower mast section substantially proximate the deck when the telescopic mast is in the second extended position.
The base may also include a locking collar mounted to the lower mast section and includes a projection selectively engageable with the upper mast section so as to inhibit extension of the upper mast section when the projection of the locking collar is engaged with the upper mast section and allowing extension of the upper mast section when the projection is disengaged from the upper mast section.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a well on a nose section of a boat within which a pedestal according to the disclosure may be installed. The well offers additional advantages and provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance.